The History Data Unit is the national center for the preservation
and supply of historical data held in computer-readable form. As
a new resource for the historical community the Unit is
-establishing a central collection of historical data from a
wide range of sources.
-providing researchers with an easily accessible and rich
source of data materials.
-preserving the increasing number of machine-readable files
that are being created.
The Unit provides services including long-term preservation,
dissemination, cataloguing and indexing, advice on documenting,
information service, international cooperation.
The Unit has an on-line catalogue BIRON. To logon to BIRON
(login: biron, password: norib) over the internet type:
telnet biiron.essei.x ackic). To log on using JANET use
the NISS Gateway. At the PAD prompt type: call uk ac.niss.
At the Gateway main menue, type v to select Archive Serivces.
for more information contact by e-mail
sheilia@essex.ac.uk
or
markal@essex.ac.uk
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Following up on the recent information about the History Data
Unit, could I provide a note of clarification. The History Data
Unit is part of the ESRC Data Archive, which has long served as a
social science data archive in the UK. The ESRC Data Archive is
part of a network of social archives, with others in Europe and
America (ICPSR, Michigan). There is also a social science
archive in Cologne, the Zentralarchive fuer empirische
Sozialforschung. BIRON is the ESRC Data Archive's online
catalogue. Its telnet address is biron.essex.ac.uk. The History
Data Unit has a discussion list, essex-history@mailbase.ac.uk,
which can be subscribed to in the normal way. For more
information contact Sheila Anderson at sheila@essex.ac.uk.
Sheila Anderson and Kevin Schurer have also produced A Guide to
Historical Datafiles Held in Machine-Readable Form (Association
for History and Computing, 1992), available from the History Data
Unit and from the CTI Centre for History. Yours, Donald Spaeth
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Dr Donald A Spaeth, Deputy Director
CTI Centre for History, Archaeology and Art History
Tel: 0141 330-4942 Fax: 0141 330-5518 Office:
ctich@glasgow.ac.uk Personal: dspaeth@dish.gla.ac.uk